The prayer-meetings have been kept up well, considering that my members are hard laboring people, and there is a growth in spirituality and purity of life, such as is consistent with the Bible. It is a custom in the fairs here to have a table devoted to the punch-bowl, and different kinds of wines, to raise money for the church or minister’s salary; but my church is a model so far as temperance is concerned, feeling that it cannot encourage a demon that destroys the happiness of so many homes, both North and South.
Another fact, to show the influence of our church, is the organization of a literary club among the young people, which has proven a success. About three months ago, I sent out notices to the ministers, and some of the better class of colored people, to meet at my church for this purpose; an organization was completed, and since that we have met from church to church.
Last night the club gave its first special entertainment. It was certainly a credit to the members who took part, and compared well with similar entertainments which I have seen in New England. The following notice is from the Mobile _News_:
“THE ARISTOTLE LITERARY CLUB.—This club, whose members are among the most cultivated of Mobile’s colored citizens, gave its first entertainment, last night, at St. Emmanuel Church, at eight o’clock. The exercises consisted of literary and musical recitations, debates, etc. The programme was a choice one, and the large audience in attendance enjoyed the occasion very much. The ‘Aristotles’ are the true representatives—or rather, the best representatives—of the colored population in our city, and we bid them God-speed in their earnest efforts to elevate themselves above the low standard that generally prevails among our colored people.”
Montgomery—Swayne School—A Year’s Work—Closing Exercises.
My first school year’s work among the colored people at the South, has just closed. What a history it has! How rich in new experiences!—experiences which I should deeply regret to have stricken from my life.
How vividly do I recall that sunny morning, the first day of October, 1877, as I stood upon the steps of “Swayne School” building, with five lady teachers at my side, while before us, in almost military lines, were drawn up some three hundred colored children and youth. These were our pupils. What a work lay before us! We have been repeatedly told, since our arrival, that the general feeling was, “No woman can control this school.” We, too, knew, in the depths of our hearts, that without Divine aid, we should utterly fail. But God has been true to His promises, and has given us a quiet, happy and successful year in our work, and one full of kindly, appreciative testimony from those among whom we have labored.